


Locked-On

by Stephicness



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: First Kiss, Jealousy, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2017-02-02
Packaged: 2018-09-21 14:07:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9552242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stephicness/pseuds/Stephicness
Summary: All Gladio wanted was a little bit of attention.





	

Ignis had just barely stepped out of the tent in the morning, already finding that the rest of the party had departed, most likely to go on their planned morning hike with Cor so the man could help Noctis and Prompto better train themselves for the road ahead. Admirable of Cor to be so dedicated in helping Noctis, but Ignis was rather surprised to see that Gladio had remained back at the camp. That man hardly ever passed up the opportunity to work out. So needless to say, it was a surprise for Ignis to see the king’s shield sitting there, arms and legs crossed as he eyed Ignis with a stern expression.

“Morning. You sleep well?”

A small grunt came from Ignis in response. Clearly Gladio didn’t know the rules well enough: no conversing with Ignis until he had his first cup of coffee in the morning.

The strategist let out a sigh, adjusting his glasses while moving towards the portable stove to start up a kettle of water. After being kept up all night by Prompto and Noctis’s over-zealous enthusiasm about Cor visiting them, it was hard for any of them to sleep. Coffee was important this particular morning. So he reached into the grocery bag of some of his more ‘essential’ supplies to fish out the bag of ebony from it.

“Iggy?”

Another half-asleep grunt came from the strategist before he dragged himself over to sit in his designated seat next to Gladio. Ignis woke up relatively early every morning, but it didn’t quite mean he was a morning person himself. A cup of Ebony was the only remedy to his morning fatigue, and Noctis knew this well. He supposed Gladio didn’t know it quite as well, considering that he was often awake before Ignis and about his daily training regimen by the time Ignis was ready to tend to the morning’s duties. He’d learn soon enough though, especially as Ignis absent-mindedly leaned on his hand and closed his eyes again to rest his face until the kettle screeched at him for his coffee.

“Ignis.”

“I heard you the first time, Gladio.” Ignis sounded snappier than he intended, but he seemed to disregard it and move along with the same tone anyways. “I need approximately fifteen minutes with my coffee before you speak to me.”

“Fifteen? Damn, you really need that stuff to survive, don’t you?”

Ignis merely hummed in confirmation as Gladio watched the glasses-wearing man with a look of amusement. As weird was it was for him to think about it, this was the first time Gladio got to see Ignis wake up properly. Yes, there were moments were Ignis would have been more awake and alert than the others, not getting up until his alarm went off to the dot, but this was the first time seeing Ignis in his morning routine before Gladio beat him to waking up or after Gladio had decided to sleep in that day. It was kind of interesting, seeing how Ignis breathed so lightly as he rested his cheek in his palm, his free hand rested on top of his thigh while his pointer finger tapped as if it were in pace with a metronome. For a man that was in desperate need of coffee to wake-up, Ignis still held a majestic aura to him, one that Gladio found himself staring at more and more. Perhaps staring for too long, for when the sound of the screeching tea kettle filled the air, Ignis’s attention was now on the kettle, eyes opening just after Gladio had quickly stood up and looked away from Ignis.

“Here, I’ve got it for you.”

Ignis arched an eyebrow with a curious expression. But nevertheless, he returned Gladio’s actions with a nod before he relaxed in his chair again. Odd… Gladio wasn’t one for coffee in the morning, so why take the initiative to help serve him a cup? The strategist’s eyes narrowed at the king’s shield in suspicion. What was Gladio planning? Obviously, he was acting strangely – taking initiative in prepping anything other than a fire-roasted skewer of a cup of instant noodles, not going about his daily training with the others, not going about to spend his time in Cor’s presence. All of it odd to Ignis, and a behavior he wasn’t quite used to. And yet, he found it oddly charming. Usually it was Ignis that was making sure that Gladio and the others were well-taken care of. But watching Gladio diligently getting coffee for him, turning around to Ignis and eying the strategist carefully, opening his mouth and asking ‘What?’…

Ignis suddenly lifted his gaze and cleared his throat as he looked away. He got caught staring again. _Oops._ “Terribly sorry. I was merely distracted, that’s all.”

A small grunt came from Gladio before he returned to Ignis, the coffee in hand before he held it out to Ignis. The strategist could only reach up part way before Gladio took them away and stared down at Ignis again. “So why were you staring…?”

“I just told you: I was distracted by something.” Ignis reached out for his coffee again, only to have it pulled away from him.

“Distracted by me you mean?”

“Must we have this discussion now? I told you once before: fifteen minutes after I drink my coffee. Then I’ll be more than happy to explain that I was distracted by nothing in particular.” Ignis frowned, standing up to retrieve the coffee from Gladio. He tried to snatch at it, only to have Gladio raise it away, just enough for it to be out of Ignis’s reach without the other man having to jump for it. “Must you make me struggle for a cup of my coffee?”

“Well, it got you looking at me again, didn’t it?”

Ignis blinked in surprise, having realized how their eyes locked on each other as Ignis had looked up to Gladio. Yes, it was a look of exasperation at first. But after having it pointed out to him, he couldn’t help but notice the look in Gladio’s eye. Amused, but with a hint of sadness. What was that expression…? Ignis wanted to question it, but he didn’t need to when he felt the bodyguard’s arm secure itself around his lower back, pulling him against the other man. Ignis tried not to stumble so much that it would disoriented Gladio as well, but he still leaned against him for support until he stood upright and looked back at the bodyguard again.

“Gladio, are you alright?” Something about the look on Gladio’s face showed Ignis that something troubled him. Perhaps not as attentive in the morning as he could be, Ignis was still not oblivious to his companion’s actions. Seeing him act so peculiarly was troubling, even if it warranted acts of kindness that Ignis wanted to find appreciation in. They were gestures he wasn’t quite anticipating, that was for certain.

“Why do you spend so much time with me?” Ignis was taken aback by the statement, staring back at Gladio with a puzzled look. The bodyguard let out a sigh, refusing to let Ignis go as he stepped backwards. He guided Ignis along with him just enough for him to set the coffee down, giving him a free hand to tilt Ignis’s gaze away from the coffee and back to him. “I mean, even after what happened, how can you act like nothing ever happened?”

Ignis furrowed his eyebrows in thought. A couple weeks ago, they had just started their journey, witnessing the fall of Insomnia, scavenging for any sort of chance to get to Altissia in hope that Lady Lunafreya and Noctis can find a way to stop Niflheim. There was much preparation to tend to, but this shouldn’t be something that bothered Gladio. He knew his responsibilities to Noctis, so Ignis had to think harder on this thought. What could have possibly bothered Gladio so much to make him act this strangely?

It was then that Ignis realized just what had happened just last week, when Ignis had found himself fixated on the king’s shield. The conversation lead from one thing to another until Gladio had kissed him. A quick gesture, but one that Ignis did in fact remember. He unfortunately didn’t think much of it, since Gladio had quickly avoided him for the rest of that day and for some time afterwards. It was Ignis that prompted an effort to interact with Gladio once again, though it was only in moments to be around the prince, all in accordance to how Gladio was in that moment. Ignis never pried further, but perhaps he should have. The strategist couldn’t help but frown slightly.

“I did not act like it never happened, Gladio. I merely continued on afterwards.” Slender fingers reached up and took Gladio’s hand from his cheek, curling around it and bringing it downwards. Ignis refused to let go, just as he refused to take his gaze away from the amber gaze before him. “If anything, you were the one that disregarded me.”

Gladio paused before his eyes narrowed. “No I didn’t.”

“If I recall correctly, you were more fascinated by Noctis’s and Prompto’s return than you were by me. Thus, I let you go about as you pleased and I never questioned your behavior. Until now, at least.” Ignis’s gaze narrowed in response, a much more assertive look that made the shield waver in response. “Why are you acting so strangely today? And touchy, for that matter.”

“I’m not.” And yet when Ignis tried to pull out of Gladio’s hold, his arm held Ignis tighter. “I just… I wanted you to look at me again.” Ignis’s eyebrow arched up for Gladio to further explain himself. That look always made Gladio nervous and look away. He was always so damn weak to Ignis’s judgmental stare like that. “I mean, you’ve been too busy listening to Cor or babysitting Noct and Prompto. Yeah, Cor’s cool, and it’s stupid… But I just want you to look at me.”

_“Then look at me in return.”_

His eyes widened at Ignis’s words before he looked down at the other man. Ignis’s expression wasn’t as harsh at his tone was. Soft green eyes gazed into his own, Gladio’s voice catching in his throat. He was left stunned, at Ignis’s mercy as hands reached up and held Gladio’s face in place. Their eyes were locked together, but Gladio didn’t care if he was trapped. He could only stare back into the green before him.

“If you want to have me look at you, then all you have to do is look back at me. I’m _always_ watching over you. Always captivated by you. Not Noctis, not Cor, nobody else. There hasn’t been another that has captured my gaze, and there won’t be – so long as you are always watching me in return.” Ignis brushed his thumbs over Gladio’s cheek, tilting his at him with a serious expression. “Do I make myself clear?”

The reaction Ignis had expected wasn’t that he received. Words were something that Gladio could think of using in that moment before he leaned forwards to close the distance between them. Ignis gasped as he felt lips crashing against his own. The element of surprise shifted control into Gladio’s favor as he pulled their hips and bodies close, his other hand moving to cup he back of Ignis’s head to keep him there in the gesture. The strategist was left unable to fulfill his title, left blank-minded as his face reddened in disbelief. At this moment and time? And yet, he found the gesture pleasant, one that twisted his chest with a blissful sensation before hands slowly slide past the shield’s head and wrapped themselves around his neck.

He was expecting Ignis to pull away in that moment, but Gladio was surprised himself to see Ignis responding to his gesture, as abrupt as it was. And yet, he felt his heart beating so fast, a smile forming over his lips as he kissed Ignis. The first time he kissed the other man, it was a clumsy and awkward gesture that stunned Ignis more than showed him how Gladio really felt. But in this moment, it was clear to see that perhaps Ignis had felt the same way as well. Perhaps… Even if Ignis didn’t, this moment was something that Gladio would hold dear for as long as he could.

Well, until Ignis slowly pulled away from him. Gladio leaned forwards as if to follow, but was stopped as Ignis pressed his forehead against Gladio’s own. They stared silently at one another, eyes unable to part from one another. Even as Ignis’s smile slowly began to form and Gladio’s fingers curled through Ignis’s hair. They merely stared as if they would disappear from one another if they even so much looked away. But they could only remain like this for so long, especially when the others would be returning soon. The strategist let out a small sigh, brushing his thumbs over the bodyguard’s cheeks as he tilted his head.

“I suppose I made myself clear, didn’t I?”

“Loud and clear.” Gladio chuckled as he kissed Ignis once again, a quick gesture but one that didn’t lack in the intimacy from before. “I’ll let you get back to your ‘fifteen minutes’ though. Coffee probably got cold, so I can make it for you again.”

“You shouldn’t waste our stock of Ebony, I can drink what you made me already.” Before Gladio could object, the shield found a slim finger pressed against his lips to silence him, Ignis’s gaze on him with an adamant expression. “Only if you care to share some with me, that is.”

He smiled in return, taking Ignis’s hand and kissing his fingertips. “Won’t take my eyes off you. Promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> Had a few requests about a Gladnis fic, so I finally got around to writing another one. Whoop! Hope you enjoyed~


End file.
